Abstract

This paper examines the evolution of the detective character within the context of surveillance society focusing on Sherlock Holmes as a case study. Tracing the shift from the Panopticon model of centralized observation to the Panspectron model of distributed and pervasive surveillance, this study explores how advancements in surveillance technologies and methodologies have influenced Holmes’s role, methods, and ethical boundaries. By analyzing Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories and their contemporary adaptations in the BBC series Sherlock, this paper highlights Holmes’s liminal position between the observer and the observed, authority and vanity. The research explores how modern iterations of Holmes navigate the blurring lines between public and private spaces. Furthermore, it investigates the impact of surveillance capitalism on Holmes’s quest for truth and justice, questioning whether the proliferation of surveillance technologies has aided or hindered his mission. By bridging surveillance studies and detective fiction, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis of Sherlock Holmes’s adaptation to the evolving terrain of surveillance culture.